In The Middle
by WeakHeart
Summary: Three weeks away from the wedding, Maria finds herself between a world she used to know and a world she'll have to know. She desperately needs to get closer to her fiancé, but what will happen when things are not going as she had imagined them?
1. Day 1

_"Mhhhhh, I'm a little bit in love, never felt this way before..."_

Maria Rainer couldn't remember a time when she had been this happy. A time when she had felt this complete, this accepted, this loved.

With a towel wrapped around her, she stepped out of the bathroom in the governess' room and moved to the cupboard, trying not to soak the wooden floor with her still wet feet. Focusing on her task, she kept on singing the song she had had in her head for most of the day.

"Mhhhhhh... Just a little bit in love, or perhaps, a little bit more..."

She picked a lovely chiffon dress with a light flower pattern from the cupboard, and decided that it would do for dinner. Then she placed the dress on top of her bed, still singing, and started to get ready.

Yes, it really was a feeling she'd never felt before, she thought as she hummed along to the melody in her head.

When she looked back on the day when she'd first arrived at the villa, she would never have imagined that her life would have taken such a turn. The children were metamorphosed: they had all opened up to her, with more or less difficulty. They had incredibly improved in their studies, but they had also made great personal improvements: she felt that they more... open. It had obviously been because they had reconnected with their father.

Their father.

The simple thought of him made Maria smile. _Georg_. Her soon-to-be husband. That had been the event she had anticipated the least: falling in love with her employer.

It hadn't been easy. If there was something she'd learned in the past month, it was that love was not easy. When she first met him, in that first disastrous encounter, she remembered being... disturbed, to say the least.

He did not look like anything she could have imagined. Well, he wasn't like the old sea captain with a long, white beard and smoking a pipe like she had seen in children books. However, this wasn't what had intrigued her the most; the fact that he didn't look like one didn't bother her. What did, however, was that he had been surprisingly handsome. Incredibly handsome. The feeling had been so disturbing that she'd been questioning herself about it for days: was it right to think that? Wasn't a nun expected not to notice men? But never mind, she had told herself, only noticing wouldn't harm anyone. That's what she had thought.

 _"When he looks at me, everything's hazy and all out of focus. When he touches me, I'm in the spell of a strange hocus-pocus,"_ she sang absentmindedly as she put on her stockings and stepped into her dress.

Oh yes, there were times she could hardly breathe when he looked at her, just like she'd told the Reverend Mother. Whenever he put his hand behind her back to guide her or when he managed to steal a kiss, on some occasions, she would feel dizzy and think it over for hours.

 _"It's so... I don't know... I'm so…"_ her singing faltered. "Oh, I don't know." She sighed deeply and stared at herself in the mirror of the bathroom. She tried to arrange her hair which had grown longer over the past weeks.

Being _engaged_ to Georg was rather unsettling, when she thought about it. It was like being a fish plucked from the ocean and tossed into a foreign stream; in the space of two days, she had found herself going from postulant to future wife of one of Austria's most reputed naval hero - and an aristocrat as it happened! It was a world she knew nothing about, and if she was completely honest, she dreaded it. Never in her life she had been taught how to properly sit on a couch, what to say or what not to say during supper, how to start a formal conversation with somebody who had a title - though she would have one herself within three weeks - and all those kind of things every woman from the upper class knew. In fact, she didn't have a clue as to how a high-society lady was supposed to behave.

There were constraints, and she was well aware of these, but she was ready to do anything to be with her Captain. She would do what it takes, she had promised herself, even though it meant being under the constant disapproving look of every Countess or Duchess or whatever woman she would meet, even though it meant being forced to pretend to be enjoying herself during boring high society conversations for the rest of her life. What was it about this man that could make her hang the moon just for him?

"I don't know," she said to herself as she got back to her room and went to an opened window, resting her elbows on the edge. _"I don't know, but I know, if it's love, then it's lovely! Mhhhhhh, it's so nice to be alive,"_ She sang and as she was taking in the sight of the wonderful view of the lake and the mountains that her room offered. " _when you meet someone who bewitches you. Will he be my all?_ " She smiled to herself, lowering her eyes. Of course he would be. He already was. " _Or did I just fall..."_ She raised her gaze to the blue sky, and she rested her chin on the palms of her hands.

 _"A little bit... A little bit in love..."_ She finished while appreciating the golden light of the fading sun on this late August night. It seemed like a fairytale, and she closed her eyes, savouring every moment of it. Soon, she would be the wife of the man she loved, and the mother of seven adorable children, and maybe more, she dared to think as she felt her cheeks redden. How lovely it would be to have children of her own, children who would be the living proof of the love she and Georg would share. Neither of them had talked about it, well, they didn't really have time! It had been three weeks since he had proposed to her, that night at the gazebo, and she had been all over the place since then, between wedding plans, a visit to the abbey. And then there was the arrival of Hede, Georg's sister, as an additional chaperone - they had agreed that Max alone wouldn't do. Even the children had been more demanding of attention than before, constantly surrounding her. She wasn't complaining at all, it was all amazing, but it meant she didn't have one minute for just to be with Georg - Hede and Max made sure of that.

So, yes, the thought of more children had been occupying her mind lately. But she didn't have the faintest idea of what her fiancé's opinion was on the matter. Maybe he didn't even want more children. He already had seven of them! But soon they will officially be hers as well, even though she had considered them as her treasures since the day she'd met them. On the other hand, she hadn't been the one to raise them, so the experience had not been the same. Oh, she was torturing herself! She needed to talk to Georg about it as soon as possible. It wasn't that she wasn't seeing him enough, as they spent a fair amount of time together, but they were never alone, and they could certainly not have an intimate conversation such as discussing eventual future children. There were so many things that needed to be said, but God knew when they would get the occasion. Maybe not before the wedding, she thought as a red light started blinking in her head. She needed to talk to him! About what was expected of her, about what she needed to do! Oh, what a mess!

And yet, there was that part of her that only wanted a calm, peaceful life with no title, no parties, just her, Georg, and the children. But as she had told herself just moments before, she was ready to do what it would take.

Suddenly, her deep reverie was interrupted when she felt two strong arms circling around her waist. Startled, she straightened up and gasped, but instantly recognized the scent of her fiancé's expensive cologne.

"Shhhhhh, darling, it's just me," said Georg with a chuckle as he planted a kiss in the crook of her neck.

It was enough to make her knees buckle.

"What are you doing in there?" Maria whispered, as if somebody could hear her. "How did you get in?"

Still kissing every part of her neck his lips could reach, he answered, "I was just passing by, I heard the delightful sound of your voice and I couldn't help myself. And it was a really lovely song, by the way. I never heard you sing it before."

"The door was closed!" said Maria. "If you'd come in just five minutes ago, you'd have seen me..." She hesitated, so she turned her head in order to meet his gaze. " _...naked_!" she mouthed, her cheeks turning red.

Visibly surprised, Georg raised his eyebrows and she could spot a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He opened his mouth to answer when a loud knock rang on the door and she froze in her fiancé's arms.

"Maria! Are you alone in there?" came the sound of Hede's voice from the other side of the door.

Rather panicked, she tried to keep her voice even, although she was distracted by Georg's presence behind her. Apparently not disturbed by the possibility of being caught, the unstoppable beast kept on planting kisses on her neck.

"Y-yes! I am!"

"Are you really?" Maria heard the suspicion in Hede's voice, and she could perfectly picture the frown on her face.

"I am!" she answered rather too confidently, while Georg's hands had moved from her waist and were now caressing her sides.

"Can I come in then?"

She felt her fiancé's caresses still, and another rush of panic going through her.

"No! I am, uh, getting ready for dinner so I'm not really, uh-" _Oh God_. "dressed!" She finished, and Georg resumed his caresses. "Why?"

"Because," Hede answered, still suspicious, "it happens that my brother has suddenly disappeared and no one seems to be able to find him."

"Is that so?" Maria said, trying to sound surprised.

But without her noticing, Georg's hands had moved and one deliberately caressed her breast. The effect was immediate: she loudly gasped and she felt her whole body burst into fire, both excited and mortified due to the situation she was in.

"What is it now?"

"Nothing!" she snapped, as she felt Georg's smirk against her neck. _What a mess, what a mess_! "I've just realized I would be late for dinner if I don't hurry up!" She invented, relieved that she had found something rather realistic to say.

"Mmmhmm..." was all Hede could say, apparently not entirely convinced. "Then I shall leave you Maria. I have to find my stupid brother," she muttered angrily. "Oh, and if, _by any chance_ , you come across him," she started again, "tell him that he is an idiot and that he won't get away that easily."

 _Get away with what?_ Was what Maria wanted to ask but wasn't sure that it was a good idea to dig herself in even deeper than she already had.

"See you at dinner!" Maria said as she heard Hede's footsteps in the corridor.

When she was sure that the sound of Hede's footsteps had faded away, she let out the breath she'd been holding and abruptly turned around to face Georg, causing his arms to drop to his sides.

"What is it?" he asked, surprised by her sudden behaviour.

She looked at him in a way she never had before. Inside, she was boiling mad because of the way he had just behaved: he knew she was a terrible liar, and that she had probably made a fool of herself trying to find stupid excuses to persuade Hede to go away. But his presence was... enthralling. He had dared to touch her in a way he knew would unsettle her, and for good reason; she had almost given herself away. But it was entirely his fault! He didn't have to be here in the first place, but if she was honest, she was glad that he was as they could barely spend time together. And she was about to make sure that this precious time wasn't going to go to waste.

Without bothering to answer his question, she suddenly grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and brought his face to hers, kissing him as if her life was about to end. Although he was surprised at first, it didn't take him long before he responded with equal force, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to him. Deepening their kiss, she heard a growl of approval escape his throat, and he tightened his grip around her. In a heartbeat, she found herself pinned against the nearest wall, their tongues still battling as she pressed herself even more firmly against him, glad that she was stuck between him and the wall, as she was sure that her knees would have buckled.

His lips left hers to undertake a journey from the corner of her mouth to her jaw, then her neck. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt his right hand moving, once again, to her breast. This time, his touch was firmer, not like the light caress it had been only minutes ago. His mouth was still on her neck, and she suddenly felt the urge to feel his lips against hers. Between involuntary whimpers she managed to get his lips back and she wrapped her hands around his neck, bringing him closer.

Maria's blood was pounding in her ears and she couldn't think about anything besides the touch of his hands, the feeling of his lips and the delightful pressure of his whole body pressed against her. She could feel something fluttering low in her stomach, causing her to want him even more. She was lost in his arms, the scent of him intoxicating her in the best way possible.

"Darling..." Georg panted after they parted, some kisses later. His voice was hoarse and certainly not like she was accustomed to, although she didn't complain. "As much as I'd like to continue this lovely activity, I'm afraid we should stop."

Maria moaned with disappointment. "But I don't want to stop! Who knows when we will have another moment to ourselves..." She sighed and brought her eyes to his. "I miss you. Sometimes it feels like you're not here."

"I know it's difficult darling," he said as he smoothed his jacket. "But it's for the best. We clearly need those chaperones. Look what happens when they are not here," he added with a smirk, and she was impressed by how quickly he had managed to compose himself while her stomach was still trying to recover from the kisses and the touches.

"I know!" she said, with a dramatic sigh. "But they keep us apart all the time! Maybe we wouldn't... we wouldn't do _this_ if we had some more time to ourselves."

Georg let out a low chuckle. "Well, you were the one who jumped on me and initiated _this_!"

She threw him a staggering look.

"But _you_ were the one who came here in the first place! And if you... if you hadn't touched me, I wouldn't have done it!"

Georg laughed when he saw her crossing her arms and frowning. She was just too adorable.

"I'm sorry," he said, clearly not sorry at all. He smirked. "But don't worry, I wouldn't have done anything without your consent."

"Oh, _thank you_ ," Maria snorted. "It's very kind of you." She rolled her eyes but then she sighed. "You're right, we might need the chaperones."

"I'm just as sad as you are about their presence, darling. If it were up to me, I would have taken you to bed so much sooner." Georg said, chuckling.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Maria's face went blank and she stared at him her eyes wide opened.

"Would... would you?" She stammered, a bit uncertain.

Georg seemed to have noticed the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice, because the sparkle of mischief vanished from his eyes.

"I mean, erhm, you're certainly very, uh, _tempting_ , my darling, but you don't have to worry about that. I mean, for now. I know how important it is for you to wait, and I wouldn't do anything without your consent, as I said." He flashed a small, apologetic smile, and her heart began to beat faster.

It wasn't that it bothered her, not really, but the topic wasn't something they had had time to discuss. And if she were honest with herself, she didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about it. Not that she wasn't curious, because she was, but because she didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to bring it up. The truth was that it frightened her, but the biggest part of herself wanted to experience what the love between a man and a woman was like in bed. Was it wrong of her? Shouldn't she wait until the wedding before thinking about that? _Of course not, you idiot,_ she snapped at herself. _Besides, you've already been thinking about it. And, may I add, you are not at the abbey anymore._ She mentally shook away the image of Sister Berthe looking disapprovingly at her.

But, oh, how she wanted to feel it! How she wanted to feel it over and over again when Georg kissed her, when he touched her, when she had her pinned against the wall just like minutes ago, or when he would be pressed against her! Never she had felt this way, and every time it would happen, there was that part of her that would only scream for more.

"Maria? Are you all right?" came the soothing voice of Georg, bringing her back to the reality.

She blinked, trying to focus on him.

"Yes, of course!" she said with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Oh help. The look in his eyes was so full of love that she wanted to throw herself at him and kiss every inch of his face. "I think we really should get ready for dinner, before your sister kills you, which would be very unfortunate. She will go mad if she doesn't find you soon. And she sounded already pretty mad." She added knowingly.

He began to shift uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something I wanted to tell you. That's why I came here in the first place."

"Oh?" she asked, as he looked at her very seriously. She should have known from the beginning there was something. Maybe something wrong. Why would he take the risk to come to her bedroom if it wasn't important? _Help_.

"I truly am sorry to tell you at such short notice," he began, "but I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Vienna. I'll be gone for one night only," he hastily added, as her eyes started to shift with worry. "I'll be back the day after tomorrow, by the afternoon I guess."

If there was something she hadn't expected, well, it was _that_. Why did he have to go? And why was he telling her only now?

"I see," Maria said quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself and asked, "And why do you need to go to Vienna?"

"There is some, uh, business I need to attend to. People I need to see before we leave for our honeymoon, but nothing for you to worry about, darling." He reassured her, but she was not convinced by the vagueness of his answer.

"Of course," she answered softly, not really satisfied with the answer he had given her.

And just like that, she felt like she needed to put her defenses back up. The thought of being left alone at the villa terrified her. Not that she would be totally alone, as the children and the staff would still be there of course, but Georg was like a landmark to her, and without this landmark, she felt like she could drown at any time. Even though they didn't have much time alone, he was still a reassuring presence to her across the dinner table, or when he put his hand on her shoulder when they were having conversations with Max and Hede in the parlour. It would be the first time they would be far away from each other since their engagement, and she wasn't too keen on the idea.

"I'm sorry, darling, I don't like to leave you at the villa either," said Georg, interrupting her thoughts just as if he could read her mind. He gave her an apologetic smile. "If I could have done otherwise, I would have. But I can't."

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and straightened her shoulders. It was not a big deal. After all, she could take care of herself, and she could manage to survive twenty-four hours without him. What could possibly happen?

"I know you would have done otherwise," she answered quietly, bringing her eyes to his. "It's just, oh, I don't know." She sighed as she leant on the cupboard next to her.

Georg looked at her quizzically.

"I'm not used to this. All of this," she added as she made a circle with her head. "Being away from you... it may sound stupid, but it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"You will get used to it, and everything will get better with time. I promise," he said with a smile. "As for me leaving, it doesn't sound stupid that you won't be at ease. But it won't be long, you'll do just fine."

She returned his smile, and involuntarily shuddered.

Georg cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I have to eventually leave this room and invent whatever excuse to justify my absence," he said, rolling his eyes. "It was lovely to talk to you. I'll see you at dinner." He winked at her. Then he turned his back to her and started to head to the door.

"Wait!" Maria exclaimed.

"What is it?" he asked, turning around to face her and raising his eyebrows in surprise.

She went past him, opened the door and poked her head out, checking both sides of the corridor. Relieved to see it was empty, she stepped aside.

"You can go now," she said.

"Thank you," he answered with a devilishly handsome smile that could make her knees buckle. But instead of walking away, he bent down and captured her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. She immediately closed her eyes and squeezed the handle of the door.

"There. _Now_ , I can go," he said, clearly very pleased with himself.

Leaving an astounded Maria behind him, he casually walked away.

* * *

Dinner this evening was like every other dinner. Almost.

Maria arrived in the dining room, on time and sat at her place while the children and Max were chatting animatedly amongst themselves. The big topic of the day was Maria's wedding dress: while she had been with Hede to the first fittings, she didn't have a clear idea in mind of what the final result would be like. Liesl claimed it would be a long, satin dress with short sleeves. Brigitta argued it should be covered with lace. Gretl and Marta said it had to be a long, chiffon bubble dress, just like Cinderella. Kurt said she should get married in pants, that it would make everything easier for everybody. Louisa was rolling her eyes and saying that it had to look like she wanted. And Friedrich was quiet and looking down his plate without bothering giving his opinion.

Just before Maria was about to tell them that they were all wrong, except for Louisa, Hede made her entrance and took her seat rather quickly, looking annoyed.

"I'm going to kill him," Hede muttered.

"Georg?" Max inquired, pouring himself a glass of wine. "Let me give you a hand!"

"What is it, Hede?" Maria asked even though she had a pretty good idea about Hede's discontent. She was frowning so intensely that her blue eyes were almost invisible.

Hede didn't look like her brother at all. If Maria didn't know she was Georg's sister, she wouldn't have believed it. They only had the eyes as a common feature: blue, dark and piercing. But Hede was dark blonde, had a rather pale complexion and messy hair that she tried to tie up in a sort of messy bun. Everything about her appearance, and not only that, was extremely wild, unlike her brother.

"I can't find him anywhere," she said. "You know Maria," she continued as she spun around in her chair so she could face Maria, "at first, I really thought he was with you. But now, I get it: he is trying to drive me crazy. And he is totally successful. I hate him." She muttered, turning back to her empty plate.

"Dearest Hede, we know and love the same man!" Max exclaimed enthusiastically as he poured her a full glass of wine. "Drink this, you'll feel better."

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Max." Hede said as she gratefully grabbed the glass and took a large gulp. "He is making us wait. And he is never late, usually! I'm telling you, he is going to be the one to end up roasted on my plate."

"She is obviously joking, sweethearts," Maria said gently as she watched Marta's and Gretl's eyes widen in horror. "Don't be so extreme, Hede." Maria said although she was enjoying hre future sister-in-law's attitude. "I'm sure he will be here soon."

"He better be," Hede said as she took another sip of wine.

And Georg chose that precise moment to come to the room, greeting Maria and the children as he casually walked to his chair.

"Ah, I love it when you wish me a good evening, Georg!" Max sighed sarcastically, but Georg didn't pay him attention.

"What has taken you so long?" Hede snapped as he was sitting down, throwing him a look so dark that it looked like she was sending knives with her eyes.

"I happen to be a human being," he started as he joined his hands, "and sometimes, when my sister stifles me with her blistering presence, I have to go out and get some _air_. Surely you can understand that?" Georg said as he offered her a sarcastic smile.

" _Fine_ ," Hede answered as she drained the rest of her glass. "Max, give me some more," she commanded as she extended her glass to the impresario, who gladly filled it.

"Careful little sister," Georg said, "I wouldn't want a drunken woman at my table."

"I'm three years older than you are," Hede mumbled, ignoring his comment as she brought her glass to her lips.

"How fascinating! I always thought you were fifteen and forgot to grow up," he said sarcastically, taking a sip of his own wine.

Hede made the right decision to ignore him.

Throughout dinner, everyone seemed to be like they usually were. Max drank, Hede talked, Georg was being sarcastic, and the children were being children - they had resumed their argument over the dress - though Maria couldn't help but noticed Friedrich's odd behavior. He barely spoke, and he looked like he was trying his best to go unnoticed, which was very unlike him. Maria had come to discover a very passionate boy, thirsty to learn and curious about a lot of things. She cast a look around the table and found Georg looking at her intensely from across the table and her cheeks immediately caught fire. She quickly looked away, helping Gretl to cut her meat, when Georg's voice resonated from across the table.

"Children, may I have your attention for one minute ?"

The clatter of knives and the forks faded away, and they all turned their attention to their father.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving for Vienna. But don't be scared," he added as they all opened their mouths to start protesting, "I'll only be gone for two days."

"Why are you leaving, Father?" Liesl inquired.

Georg cast a quick glance at Maria, whose eyes burnt into his, before turning his attention back to his eldest daughter.

"There is some business I need to attend to, nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart," he said to Liesl, almost the exact same words he had said to Maria only an hour ago.

Maria tried her best to look surprised. Judging by the look on Max's and Hede's faces, they already knew he was leaving, which made sense to Maria.

The children started to ask questions, but Maria wasn't listening to a word. Her eyes were glued on her fiancé. For the first time in days, she took the time to look at him properly. There was something in his eyes, something in his smile, in his features, that made parade questions after questions in her mind. He looked quite different. Quite tired. He didn't look like himself.

Her good mood of the day had started drifting since their conversation earlier. But now, she was not angry or sad, but she felt like there was something wrong. She felt insecure.

Something was amiss. She couldn't help but feel that uncomfortable twist in her stomach, the feeling that something was slipping through her fingers.

There was something he was not telling her, or something she hadn't understood.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note_** **: The song Maria is singing at the beginning is "A Little Bit In Love" from the show Wonderful Town, and Julie Andrews has done a beautiful cover of this song. I've always pictured Maria singing it dreamily while getting ready.**

 **The line: "Like a fish plucked from the ocean, tossed into a foreign stream" is taken from the first lyrics of the song "Who Will Love Me As I Am" from the musical Side Show. It is a gorgeous song, you should definitely give it a listen.**

 **Special thanks to INeverExplainAnything for helping me with it.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it, you are more than welcome to leave a review!**


	2. Day 2

Keeping her eyes closed, Maria inhaled deeply as she slowly drifted awake the next morning. She took advantage of the feeling that a good night's sleep gave her, dwelling on the soft material of her pillow beneath her ear. Very slowly, she opened her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the brightness of the room. As soon as she could see clearly, her eyes focused on something that was laid out in front of her. Frowning in confusion, she straightened up and realized that it was a single red rose. Definitely surprised, she took it between her fingers, and buried her nose in the petals, letting her lungs fill with the delicate scent. As her nose made contact with the flower, she felt the tiniest sensation of humidity. She looked closer and could see minute drops on the petals. Looking down on her sheets, she noticed a small card, and she sat up on her bed, rubbing her eyes as she opened it.

 _"_ _Raindrops on roses...'"_

 _One rose, one tender thought of you._

As soon as she had read the few words, she felt a wide smile spread across her face. There was no mistakes, she had recognized Georg's neat, masculine handwriting. Just as she tried to make sense of the reason of the gift, she remembered that he had probably left for Vienna a long time ago and she felt her heart sink a little in her chest. With a loving yet a sad sigh, she brushed her fingertips over the card and got up, picking an outfit and started to dress.

When she had found herself with Georg, Max and Hede in the parlour the previous evening after dinner, she had quickly excused herself, feeling a little down. She hadn't wanted her weird mood to be passed onto the others, and she had suddenly felt completely exhausted. With a small yawn, she had gotten up on her feet and had kissed Georg goodnight, ignoring Max's provocative comment, and had reluctantly wished him a nice trip.

What could Georg possibly be doing? she wondered. Probably some business she couldn't comprehend. Still, Maria didn't understand why he had told her just hours before leaving. She knew her fiancé was a busy man, and that he had his plate full most of the time. But she would always associate Georg's trips to Vienna with the Baroness, and subconsciously she couldn't help but feel alarmed. But that wouldn't make any sense at all! He had no reason to see her.

Anyway, it was nothing, as she had told herself over and over again since the previous night. Just two small days. He would be back before she had noticed his absence, and she had a mountain of wedding plans awaiting her.

Having donned a dark green mid-length skirt and a white blouse, she cast one last glance at the card and the rose that were laid on her bedside table before leaving her room and tumbling down the stairs. She made a mental note to ask Frau Schmidt to give her a vase so she could keep the rose near her. It was such a delicate and intimate gift, she couldn't help but blush when she thought about him stepping into her room to leave the rose next to her. Unfortunately, she was a deep sleeper so she couldn't have heard him. Yet, she couldn't help but lightly brushed her fingertips on her right cheek, trying to feel the ghost of a kiss he could have left there. Gosh, she could be so ridiculously romantic sometimes.

As she came down the marble stairs, she made her way to the dining room and caught the sound of Hede's voice from the other side of the door.

"Those damned things! Frau Schmidt, please, take a seat and have some coffee, and stop moving them around! Why would you be so stressed over such insignificant things? Take some time to yourself."

"I'm sorry, Fräulein von Trapp, but these are the Captain's orders. He insisted that they were brought into the dining room before Fräulein Maria awakes," came the strained voice of an agitated Frau Schmidt.

What could be brought to the dining room on Georg's orders, and for her? She curiously put her hand on the handle as she wondered if he had ordered more apple strudels. He looked like he was in the mood for surprises this morning.

Maria pushed the door open and gasped at the sight in front of her, the surprise causing her jaw to drop and her eyes to widen.

Roses. That was all Maria could see. Enormous vases full of red roses everywhere, on the table, on the dresser, on the furniture near the large opened windows.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty has awakened," Hede said with a smirk. "Prince Charming has left these awfully bulky things for you. I can't even smell the scent of my own coffee," she added as she brought the cup to her lips.

"Good morning, Fräulein Maria. Do you like them this way?" inquired Frau Schmidt from across the room.

Maria tore her eyes away from the flowers and closed her opened mouth, looking at the housekeeper.

"They are perfect, Frau Schmidt," Maria breathed. "Please don't change a thing."

The woman smiled. "I'm glad you like them," she said as she exited the room.

"Uh, Frau Schmidt?" Maria called back.

"Yes, Fräulein?"

"Would you mind bringing a small vase into my room?" she asked shyly. Maria definitely couldn't wrap her brain around the idea that she could ask the staff whatever she wanted, and she certainly didn't want to look like she was treating them with less respect than she used to.

"I'll have one brought immediately," the older woman answered with a smile. "But don't you want to change room? Are you very sure you want to keep the one you had when you were the governess? It wouldn't take much time to move your things to the guest wing, you know, the rooms are wider and more comfortable..."

"We've already been through this and yes, I'm very sure," Maria cut in gently. "I don't mind staying where I actually am, I really enjoy my room. Don't worry about that anymore."

"Alright. I'll have the vase brought then."

"Thank you for your kindness, Frau Schmidt," Maria thanked the housekeeper as she closed the door behind her.

Like in a strange dream, Maria ambled to her seat, watching all the roses that were around her. The room was filled with their scent, and Maria felt like she was floating on a happy cloud.

 _One rose, one tender thought of you..._ She recalled as she tried to count every rose, but quickly gave up as they just were too many of them.

She was deeply touched by Georg's gesture and she couldn't understand when he had found the time to do this, and to order all the flowers. What mattered was the intention and the result, and it was a success; her heart swelled with love for the man who was her fiancé.

"You look like you've been knocked on the head." Hede commented as Maria sat, her head still spinning from right to left as she was immersed in the sea of roses. "Are you alright?"

"Mhhh?" Maria turned her head to Hede, putting away her thoughts. "Yes, marvellous." She smiled.

"Love... It just isn't for me," said Hede. "Georg has become overly sweet since he's met you. But not less stupid."

"Why are you two so hard on each other?" Maria asked, rolling her eyes as she sipped on her tea.

"I guess that's how we - von Trapps, - express our love for each other," Hede said. "Georg can be incredibly arrogant..."

"I may have noticed," said Maria sardonically, thinking back on her first encounters with Georg.

"And I guess he needs to be put back in his place sometimes," Hede continued. "So I volunteered to do the task," added Hede dramatically.

"How kind of you," Maria said with a smirk.

If Maria thought she couldn't have more fun than watching Max and Georg having a conversation, then she was wrong. Georg and Hede were much more fun; they were _always_ arguing. Hede was teasing, and Georg was using his dark humour, and it was all so fun to watch. Hede was one of the funniest persons Maria had ever met: she was so witty and she used her charm perfectly, she was a breath of fresh air during the hard time the engagements were sometimes giving her. Although Hede could get annoyed, just like the day before when her brother had been out of sight, this was mostly for personal reasons and affecting her pride.

They both were very proud people; something that must have been running through the von Trapp's blood. But Maria was so grateful and relieved to have Hede by her side. As a chaperone, she was doing her work - there was no doubt about that, Maria thought slightly disappointed. But as a future sister in law, she was great. She brought Maria all the help, comfort and confidence she needed when she felt like she couldn't do it.

"What are our plans for today?" said Hede with a yawn.

"I thought we should start opening the first answers we've received for the wedding ceremony, but I'm not up to it anymore," Maria said, suddenly not in the mood to face refusals from people she didn't know who would judge her relationship based on stupid gossip - Georg had warned her this could happen. "Instead," she said as she gazed dreamily at the vase in front of her, "I'd like to take care of the flowers."

"Of course," Hede grinned, "you are as hopelessly sweet as my brother. Ugh. So much sugar could make me sick."

Maria chuckled. "Have you seen the children? It surprises me that I haven't seen any of them this morning." Maria suddenly realized.

"Yes, they are singing with Max outside. They were up way before you were, but apparently, Georg had insisted that we let you sleep in this morning."

How thoughtful of him, Maria thought. He really wanted to put her at ease, and she appreciated that.

"Dear Max, Georg has hardly left the house that he already starts to try turning the poor little ones into singing stars," said Maria with a laugh.

"Who could blame him? They are very talented after all."

"Yes, they are," Maria confirmed as she finished her tea.

* * *

After lunch, Maria, Hede and Max found themselves on the terrace, enjoying a pink lemonade just like Max liked. It was a really warm day as the sun shone brightly.

"Would you like another one, Maria?" Max asked.

"Yes, please," she breathed gratefully as she felt her pale skin burning under the heat.

"Hede?" Max asked as he gestured the bottle in his hand.

"Please," she said as she extended her empty glass. "After all this time, you still drink this. I thought you would have moved on to drinking alcohol even after lunch." She chuckled.

"They are some habits that are not to be changed," he answered happily.

"How long have you two known each other?" Maria inquired, curious.

They both lifted their eyes from their respective glass and exchanged an odd look, but it quickly disappeared and they turned their head to Maria.

"We've been..."

"We've met..."

Max closed his mouth to let Hede speak.

"I think we've known each other since Max and Georg are friends. That might have been –gosh - nearly twenty years ago?" Hede sought Max's eyes in disbelief.

"Yes, something like that," Max mumbled as he brought his glass to his lips.

There was a sudden silence and Maria felt like her question had been an attack, though she couldn't understand why. But the weird atmosphere was interrupted when Maria heard a scream coming from inside the house, and she recognized Gretl's angry, high pitched voice.

"I'd better check on that now," said Maria anxiously as she got to her feet and started to head to the house.

"I'll see you in the drawing room in an hour," Hede suddenly called back. "So we can finish with the flowers."

All Maria did was throwing a thumb up in a hurry, as she made her way to the foyer as quickly as she could.

"And I am telling you that you won't be the one to choose, Gretl! Why are you so frustrated over such a basic matter?" Louisa huffed.

Maria had just pushed the door opened and discover six von Trapps all over the place: Brigitta lying on her belly and reading a book, Liesl trying to comfort a crying Gretl on the couch, Louisa with a pen and a notebook in her hands, seated on a chair, and Kurt and Marta playing cards on the floor.

"What is going on?" Maria asked. "Gretl, your scream scared me! I thought you were hurt." Maria said and flew to the couch so she could take the little one in her arms, looking thankfully at Liesl for trying to solve the situation.

"We were just having some time to ourselves," said Louisa, "and Gretl started the argument about the dress again." She rolled her eyes. "She said she might be the one to choose and I told her she wasn't. That's it."

"Why did you start crying then?" Maria asked Gretl and looked around. "And where is Friedrich?" She suddenly noticed that the teenager was the only one missing.

"He told her she was stupid and it made her very upset," interrupted Kurt, still very focused on his card game. "She screamed, he went out, and that's the end of the story."

Maria sighed deeply, rubbing her eyes as she was trying to figure out how to handle the situation. At this exact moment, she felt tired. Extremely tired.

"Children, listen," she started as they all turned their eyes to her. "I love you all very dearly, and I appreciate that you are getting... _involved_ in the preparations. But I believe that it's only been a source of dispute. So try not to get too upset about it, alright? Louisa is right, Gretl. You won't be choosing the dress, I will pick it up myself, but I can get you something you like for your own dress," Maria said softly and kissed the top of the girl's head.

"But I want you to look like a fairy princess!" Gretl exclaimed as she wiped away the tears from her chubby cheeks.

"You will like it, I promise." Maria smiled at her. "Now, no more arguing over the dress. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Fräulein Maria!" They all answered.

Maria put Gretl back on the couch, got up and left the room, heading to the grand staircase in search of Frederich.

It wasn't like him, to act so impulsively. And she had noticed his change of behaviour, though she hadn't been able to explain it. Reaching the boys' room, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Friedrich?" she called. "Can I come in, please? It's Fräulein Maria."

She heard a muffled sound and took it as a yes, so she pushed the door opened.

Friedrich was lying on the bed on his back, staring absently at the ceiling. When Maria made her way to him, he sat up on his bed and she was sure she saw him quickly wiping a tear away.

Gathering her skirt, she sat down next to him and watched him in silence. He was staring in front of him, carefully avoiding her gaze, his eyes glassy and unmoving.

"So," she started, unsure what to say. In these moments, she wished Georg could be with her. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me? I've noticed you haven't been yourself, lately." She spoke softly.

"It's nothing," he said quietly, his eyes still glued to whatever was in front of him. "I just don't like it when they talk about the dress. I find it pointless," he added, but Maria knew he wasn't being completely honest.

"Mhhh," she hummed sceptically. "Are you sure that's all?"

The boy sighed deeply, and joined his hands in his lap.

"I don't want you to be upset, Fräulein Maria," Friedrich said. "But..." He stopped in midsentence, still stubbornly avoiding her eyes.

"But?" She questioned gently, encouraging him to continue.

"But I can't help but think of my mother when they talk about the wedding," he said, looking miserable. He finally lifted his head and brought his eyes to hers, and she could see he was fighting his tears back. "Everything reminds me of her these days. I miss her more than I care to admit."

Maria's heart sank in her chest, watching this boy, still grieving, trying to hold back feelings that had to eventually come out.

"I would never be upset if you talked about her, Friedrich. And I am never, ever going to replace her. Ever. I will become your mother on Earth, but you mustn't forget that she is always there, watching you from above. She would be so proud of you."

"I'm not sure she would be," said Friedrich.

Maria's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why would you say such things?"

"She wouldn't be proud to see her son crying. Boys don't cry. That's being weak. Father never cries." His voice was shaking.

Maria felt a pang of sadness and anger well in her chest, and automatically opened her arms and pulled him into an embrace, and he started to cry, sniffing like a child.

"Boys can cry, sweetheart," she said softly as she put her hand in his hair, caressing it and holding him tight. "Never be afraid to show your feelings. Your tears show your strength, not your weakness. They show you are human." She breathed as she felt him nod in her arms.

They stayed like that for some time, Maria soothing him the best way she could, and finally, his sobs faded away and it became silent.

"What if... what if I never stopped to be sad, what if when I'm grown, I end up like Father?"

"What do you mean?" She asked as she let him go, and looked him in the eye.

"Father just... he just isn't the same. He's changed since you've arrived in our lives, but sometimes, I remember him with Mother and it's not... the same. They looked so _happy,_ " he finished in a sigh.

"I see," Maria said quietly, indeed remembering the few photographs the older girls had shared with her.

"I suppose that's why we never liked the Baroness much," he shrugged. "He was not happy with her. We could see it."

A _nd what about me?_ Maria wanted to ask, but just couldn't.

"Well," she tried to say casually, her throat tightening. "Your Father has been through a lot, these past years, and he is only starting to heal now. Just like you." She said with a sad smile. "You both need time to move on."

"I don't want to forget her!" he protested.

"Forgetting is one thing, accepting is another," she answered calmly, and his shoulder relaxed. "Once you have accepted, you will feel better. It will take time, but you'll figure it out yourself," Maria said as she put her hand above his. "As for your father, marrying me doesn't mean he has forgotten her. He never will. So don't worry about it."

His pained blue eyes deeply looked into hers.

"I hope so," he said. "Thank you, Fräulein."

* * *

Later that day, Maria and Hede were having tea in the drawing room.

"I think we are done with the flowers," said Hede happily. "It's good that you are simple, and only like red roses and edelweiss. If Georg had married that horrid Baroness Schraeder, she would have made this a thousand times more complicated - and expensive," she added with a grimace.

"It would have been something else, that's for sure, but I'm sure everyone would have liked it better," Maria said with a sad smile as she put her teacup down.

Since she had seen Friedrich, she had felt terrible. It had saddened her so much that he had been torturing himself lately and hadn't wanted to talk about it. And there was something else, but she couldn't bring herself to face.

"Don't be ridiculous." Hede waved her hand in dismissal. "Georg is madly in love with you, and who cares what people think, may I ask? They are all boring. You shouldn't focus on trying to fit the mould, Maria. You are perfect for Georg."

Maria blushed as Hede finished her sentence. "It's not that I'm trying to fit the mould, but well..." She sighed. "I believe that I want to prove them all that I am dignified and more than a poor, silly girl he has taken advantage of. Because it's not what happened."

"I know, but you know how aristocrats are. I hate them all."

"But you are an aristocrat, Hede," Maria stated with a smile.

"I am not!" Hede retorted, outraged. "Oh, well, you are right." She admitted and she saw Maria raising an eyebrow. "But I only like the money."

"Something you have in common with Max, I suppose," Maria remarked as she folded her hands on her lap. "By the way, will you be staying with him to look after the children while we are on our honeymoon?"

Hede chocked on her tea, and before Maria could get up and give her a hand, she was laughing hysterically, causing the liquid in her cup to dangerously flicker.

"What is so funny?" Maria frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Maria," Hede started as she wiped away a tear of laughter. "But the idea is so _comical_."

"Why is that?" She asked, sincerely confused.

Hede's laughter faded away as quickly as it came, and she started to shift awkwardly in her chair and Maria's hand flew to her mouth. The look on Hede's face. It had spoken for itself. And the awkward moment on the terrace at the beginning of the afternoon. It all made sense!

"You two have... you were..." She stammered, unable to find the right words.

"Erhm, yes, we used to... see each other." And Maria noticed that Georg and Hede were exactly the same when they were embarrassed.

"See each other?" she asked, her eyes wide. And just like the realization hit her, she, herself, burst into laughter.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, but you're right, it is just so _comical_."

She knew she should be shocked, but the idea that Hede and Max had once been a couple was beyond imagination. The two of them together... it must have driven Georg crazy!

"Tell me," Maria said, recomposing herself, "how did Georg take it?"

"Georg?" Hede asked as if Maria had said the most senseless thing ever. "He never knew, of course!"

"How is that possible?" Maria asked in disbelief.

"Has Georg ever told you how he had met Max?" Hede sighed as she put her teacup down as well.

"Not really. As they were in the navy together, I assumed they met there."

"They did, as a matter of fact. But I met Max before he did, when I was twenty-two, and Georg was only nineteen, still training for the navy. As you know, or probably not, Max is a year younger than me. At the time, we lived in Vienna with our parents, and things were... tensed, to say the least. Georg had just met Agathe, and I was still not married. You could imagine my parents' dismay: their twenty-two year-old daughter, an artist, unmarried, while Georg had a bright future before him and had gotten himself the daughter of a British Countess! They were not to be married, not yet, but Georg talked about her in such a way... it could make a girl dream. Anyway. Back to Max," she said as she shook her head and tried to suppress a shudder.

"There was that night, I got really upset. My mother had really pushed it too far. She had told me that I was smearing the von Trapp name, that I was nothing but a failure, that I should be ashamed of myself... I, of course, didn't sit there and lower my eyes, so I left the house and slammed the door behind me. I was really mad at her." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I went to that bar where I knew most of my friends went. I quickly found a bunch of them, and I got roaring drunk. I don't remember much of that evening, in fact," she added thoughtfully.

"But what does Max have to do with that?" Maria asked, her mind still unclear.

"Patience, patience," Hede answered with a small smile.

"The next day, I woke up with the worst headache I've ever had, but I was not home. I was at one of my friend's house, lying miserably on the couch, but it was a friend who hadn't been with us the night before. When I asked her how I got there, she told me that a gentleman had rung in the middle of the night, dragging me in the sorriest state ever, and said that I had told him to take me there. He had handed her a card with his name and the phone number of the hotel he was staying at. You guessed it, of course, it was Max."

"What happened next?" Maria was drinking Hede's words, captivated by the story.

"I obviously said that I could never call! How embarrassing!" Hede laughed softly. "But my friend changed my mind: after all, he had been kind enough to take me there, and I had probably told him a bunch of things I would probably regret, so I could at least have the decency to call, thank him and apologize. So I did. But our phone call lasted longer than what I had planned, and we met up at a café later in the afternoon - he had ordered a lemonade, he always did. I had been really talkative, that evening, and I had said a fair amount of nonsense. So, we had a proper conversation. He was as charming as one can be, and I felt like he didn't judge me, it was refreshing. He was different. It felt like an adventure."

"We saw each other a couple of times after that. We weren't talking a lot about my family -apparently, I had only told him that I hated my mother on that fateful night, but that's all. We had some shared interests: the arts -poetry and painting for me, music for him, but we both were free spirits. And that's what mattered."

"After a while, it was clear that we were more than friends. I hadn't told anybody, except for the friend who had picked me the night we met, about him. We had some fun. It lasted for two months. But he needed to go back to sea - he was in the navy, but of course, I never mentioned Georg - and I needed to pursue my dreams and to prove myself as an artist. So we parted, I went to Italy and France, and we never spoke again. Until the day I realized he and my brother had become friends, one night Georg came home with him after a mission at sea! So we met up at a garden in Vienna, we put things straight, and we agreed that it was okay to be friends and that Georg didn't need to know about it. That's the story," Hede finished, with a theatrical wave of her hand.

"Wow," Maria declared. "That sounds incredible. I won't tell Georg, but didn't he notice that something was going on when he "introduced" you to Max?"

"It wasn't even two years after Max and I little adventure, and Georg had just proposed to Agathe. To be honest, he was on a cloud, not paying attention to anything but her. I don't think it ever crossed his mind, he only had eyes for Agathe, or when she wasn't with him, he talked about her endlessly."

"How was she?" Maria abruptly changed the subject.

"Agathe?" Hede asked, surprised by the question. "She was really beautiful, but I'm not sure that's what you want to hear. She was classic, the daughter of a well-reputed family, and she was everything you could expect from that kind of family: impeccable, with good manners. But she was a very sweet, very calm girl. I think she could give Georg the peace his restless mind never had. They completed each other, in a way. And oh, how happy they looked!" She exclaimed blissfully. "I'd rarely seen such happy people together. Even though it was painful to see Georg's new state of mind when she died, I could understand him. He had lost a great deal."

"He must have." Maria said quietly, as she absently took a sip of her cold tea.

* * *

Turning around for the hundredth time, Maria let out a breath of frustration. She had been unable to sleep for the past hour, and she had just been turning over and over again, flipping her sheets upside down. Sleep wouldn't find her, she was too restless.

 _"'One rose, one tender thought of you.'"_

 _"Georg has become overly sweet since he's met you."_

 _"Georg is madly in love with you."_

 _"You are perfect for Georg."_

 _"I would have taken you to bed much sooner!"_

 _"Father just... he just isn't the same."_

 _"They looked so_ happy _."_

 _"She could give Georg the peace his restless mind never had."_

 _"They completed each other."_

 _"How happy they looked!"_

 _"There is some, uh, business I need to attend to."_

 _"He will get over it soon enough. Men do, you know."_

She sat up straight on her bed, gasping loudly. The jumble of words in her head was too loud: Georg's laugh echoed, Friedrich's tears poured down, the Baroness was looking pityingly at her...

Shaking her head strongly, as if to clear all the images and the words, she rubbed her eyes, and got on her feet as she flicked on the light before donning her robe and slippers. Her eyes caught sight of the rose freshly put in a vase, and she couldn't stop a sad sigh from escaping her lips. She needed Georg.

Quietly, she went down the stairs and took left when she reached the foyer, praying that the door wasn't locked. And she was lucky, because it wasn't. She pushed it opened and entered the dark room that was Georg's study.

Immediately, she was filled by his scent, and she allowed herself to close her eyes, inhaling as much as she could the intoxicatingly scent. Needing to feel him, to be near him.

After what seemed like an eternity, she turned on the light and made her way to the big, imposing mahogany desk. She went around it and let herself sink in the gigantic leather chair, tightening her robe around herself, letting herself impregnate his scent, once again.

When she opened her eyes, she lowered her eyes to the perfectly cleaned desk. There was nothing but neat pile of paper works, though one paper at the top of a pile caught her attention, because it was not typewritten, but written in Georg's handwriting and her eyes had already read the first lines. Despite knowing that it was not a good thing to do, she almost grabbed the letter and started to read it avidly.

 _My dearest, darling Agathe,_

 _I don't even know how to start this._

 _I have met somebody, my love. She is young, and beautiful._

 _Since the day she has arrived, she has had the children under her thumb. They care a great deal about her, and she loves them as much as they should be loved. You should see Marta and Gretl with her: they look up to her with so much love. You would have felt content and relieved, I believe._

 _Brigitta likes her very much. She says she understands her love for books and knowledge, and that's important to her._

 _Kurt is glad that she's there, too. She tries to treat him like a big boy, and he appreciates that. He loves eating apple strudels just as much as you used to. I always ask the cook to make them the way you loved them._

 _Louisa... she's opened up to her. I'm sure she is attached to her more than she says. She has more inherited from me in her way to show her feelings, I'm afraid, but oh, she has your eyes. The same green/grey colour than yours. And she's going to be as tall as you were. Also, she has your hair, though she made herself a fringe when she wanted the previous governess to stop braiding her hair. I don't know if that worked, though. She looks so much like you, she is so beautiful._

 _Friedrich, our big boy. He loves her very dearly, I even suspect he had a crush on her, at the beginning. He has your hair as well, but you know that; he has turned out really handsome. You must know, he is acting like a strong man, now, but I'm afraid he is hiding his feelings too much. I wish you were here, so you could tell me what to do._

 _Our Liesl, goodness... She is not the sweet little girl you used to know anymore. She's a woman, now. Almost seventeen! I can't believe it either. Seventeen years ago, we welcomed our first treasure into the world. You would be so proud of what she had become. Of what they've all become._

 _Sometimes, Marta and Gretl ask me about you. It's hard for me to talk about it, but now, I understand it's important for them. So I try my best to answer their questions. It's not easy._

 _I've almost messed everything up with the children, I almost abandoned them. But I couldn't look at them without thinking of you. It was too hard, you were everywhere, I could see you in everything I did. I could hear you in Liesl's laughter. I could see your excitement in Brigitta's smile when she solved a problem she'd spent hours on. Your greediness for sweets in Kurt's eyes. Your sweetness in Marta's small voice. I could see you, every day, and I couldn't face the fact that I would never see you again._

 _There have been terribly long nights. I would turn around in our bed, trying to catch a glimpse of your scent, trying to remember every single detail about you, in spite of myself, because I also wanted to forget you. To lock you away. Soon enough, I realized it was a mistake, but I didn't try to fix it._

 _Sometimes, I feel terribly guilty, because I feel like I'm giving up on you by marrying someone else. And I'm scared, because I don't know what to expect from myself. I've loved every single moment with you. You gave so much sense to my life, you brought me so much. But I'm moving on now. It's time._

 _Please, forgive me, my darling._

 _I hope you are alright._

 _Yours,_

 _Georg._

There was no air left in Maria's lungs. Just a heavy silence, and its stillness hurt her head. She couldn't think. She couldn't move.

At this moment, she felt so disconnected from Georg, from everything she thought they shared. She couldn't make sense of anything she'd just read. It was something he'd never shared with her, his memories of his late wife, and she knew she should have felt alarmed. She felt so far away from that man.

The air around her became incredibly thick. It was so hard to breathe. So hard to understand. So hard to realize.

Tears started to form in her eyes, and she did her best to safely keep them there, unshed. Never to be seen.

Would she ever be fully loved?

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go!**

 **I hope some of you got the Darling Lili reference! (It was almost copying but well, I've always loved that moment of the movie.)**

 **Feel free to review! And thanks to the guest reviewers, whom I can't thank personally.**

 **Thank you to INeverExplainAnything, as always, for helping me out.**


	3. Day 3

"Fräulein Maria? Fräulein Maria!"

Maria jumped in her chair, suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of Liesl's voice.

"Yes, Liesl?"

"Could you please pass me the jam?" The eldest girl asked gently, gesturing to the jam pot next to Maria's hand.

"Of course sweetheart." Maria smiled as she passed her what she wanted.

This morning was a particularly hard morning for Maria because she had barely slept for three hours. Sleep just hadn't found her. She had fought hopelessly amongst her sheets, trying to think of nothing, trying to empty her head, but it hadn't worked. Even without thinking about it, Georg's passionate, loving words to Agathe in the letter danced before her eyes, tormenting her; words a part of her wished she had never read.

It made her angry with herself because she didn't have the right to feel the way she did. Of course it was hard for Georg to marry her after what he and Agathe had shared. But what really hurt her was that he hadn't talked to her about it. Deep inside, she _knew_ , she just knew that she could never be the first, she would never, _could_ never have his heart. It would always be split in two, and Agathe would have the biggest part.

And could she blame him? Of course not. Agathe had been his everything for so long, she had probably been his first love, and from what she'd heard, she was everything a man could have dreamt of. It was still a mystery to her, what a man like him could find in someone like Maria. But for now, she had to live with the painful reality that he would never truly be hers. And she felt stupid and heartbroken for not realising it sooner.

The thing was that he had barely mentioned Maria in the letter. Not even told her her name. It had all been about Agathe, and she understood. But not once had he said _he_ loved her. The children, yes. But not her. It made her heart drop in her stomach.

Did she still want a life with him, did she still want to marry him?

Yes, she did. Because she loved him with all her heart and wanted to make him happy and heal his sadness. Because she was ready to give herself entirely to him. Because he was her first love, and she knew she could never love another man as long as she lived.

Because he was the one she knew would give her everything she had always longed for – a loving home and family, and for that, she could never, ever let him down. Because she loved him so much that sometimes she would find herself giggling alone in her bedroom, or some other times she would feel her stomach uncontrollably twist, or in the middle of the night she would suddenly feel sad, wanting nothing more than to find comfort in his arms. Because, just as the Reverend Mother had said, she had looked for her life and finally found her destiny, with him. He filled her whole world. Because she was so deeply in love with him.

"Fräulein? Are you sure you're alright?" Liesl asked again, her blue eyes searching for hers in concern.

Once again, Maria snapped her eyes opened to try to stay in the present and ignore her bruised and aching heart.

"I am, Liesl. Everything is fine," she said with a weak smile.

"It's nice that Father is coming back today. I'm sure it will lift your spirits." Liesl offered kindly.

"You're right," Maria said as she tried to give her the sincerest smile, even though she doubted its authenticity.

Today. She had been so absorbed by her thoughts that she hadn't paid attention to the fact that Georg was coming back today. How could she face him and pretend that nothing was wrong?

"By the way, Maria…" Hede called from across the table.

"Mmmm?"

"We're going into town, this morning. Dress fitting, do you remember?" Hede asked as she saw Maria's eyes widening in horror. Indeed, she had forgotten.

"Yes, of course!"

"And I'm taking you out for lunch as well." Hede added with her signature suspicious look on her face.

"But won't the children need me there?" Maria protested, not too keen on the idea of staying away from the children, or being interrogated by Hede, when she could barely acknowledge her heartache herself.

"Max can manage." Hede answered, waving her hand dismissively.

"If you say so." Maria sighed defeatedly, forcing herself to eat her scrambled eggs.

* * *

Standing up for hours wasn't something Maria had been looking forward to doing, but what made this particular session harder was that she felt so exhausted from lack of sleep, and her heart was so heavy that it felt as if her whole body was being weighed down. The seamstress had to ask her at least ten times to straighten up.

"Forgive me, Fräulein, but I would hate it if you had a dress that doesn't fit you, in the end." The young woman apologized sincerely, clearly uncomfortable that she had to ask her constantly to straighten up.

"It's no trouble at all. My fault." Maria hastily answered, putting her shoulders back to try to help the seamstress.

She stayed like this for a few more minutes, trying not to wince whenever she felt a prick of needle dig into her skin.

"I think we're fine for today." The girl said after what felt like an eternity to Maria, helping her out of the fabric that would soon be her dress. With ineffable sadness Maria remembered her heady delight in picking out the material only a few weeks ago, still in a state of joyful shock that she was marrying the man she loved, and whom, she had believed, loved her just as deeply. How desperately she had wanted to look her very best for him on their wedding day. It seemed like a very long time ago now.

The seamstress continued, gently distracting Maria. "Frau Hessel apologizes for her absence, she said she had to be in Vienna for business. But for your next fitting, which is on Friday I believe, she'll be back."

"Thank you ever so much." Maria said with a grateful smile, and she and Hede left the shop.

"Didn't sleep very well?" Hede asked as Maria was trying her best to suppress a yawn a couple of minutes later, when they had found a lovely restaurant in a quiet street of Salzburg.

"Not really," Maria admitted, not seeing the point of hiding it anyway.

"I can see that." Hede said as she poured herself a glass of water. "You didn't seem to be in good shape at breakfast, this morning."

"I'm sure it doesn't look that bad." Maria answered calmly, definitely trying to change the subject.

"It does." Hede cut in anyway. "The circles under your eyes speak volumes."

"Well, thank you." Maria said ironically, as the waitress came with their plates and a bottle of wine. Maria realized as she gazed at her salad how little she wanted to eat.

"So, are you looking forward to the return of Prince Charming?" Hede teased while she was enjoying her noodles with gusto.

"I suppose so."

"What? No more enthusiasm? I'm disappointed." Hede said. She really did look disappointed, and more than a little puzzled about where the sweet, enraptured bride, whose feet had barely touched the ground in her happiness, had disappeared to.

"What difference would it make? We never have a minute to ourselves, it won't change much that he's back." Maria said more bitterly than intended.

There was a short, uncomfortable silence between the two of them, punctuated only by the sound of forks and knives from the tables around.

"Look, Maria." Hede started, putting her fork down and joining her hands. "I don't know what's happening between you two, or what's going on with you - and don't try to tell me otherwise," she said as Maria opened her mouth to protest.

"I am not an idiot. I have _eyes_." Hede emphasizing the last word. "You look like a totally different person since yesterday. I don't know what's gotten into you. But whether you like it or not, I'm going to be your sister-in-law, - and you should be happy with it, because there are not many like me-" she added with a mischievous smile.

"So if there's someone you know you should be free to confide in, then it's me. So I'm going to ask you once and for all: are you alright?" She finished, her hair messily falling on her forehead and her eyes staring right at Maria's. With a little ache, Maria realised that Hede's determined look made her look remarkably like her brother Georg when he was being adamant about something.

Maria let out a sigh of defeat and leaned back in her chair, thinking quickly: she couldn't tell Hede about the letter, that was out of the question. But she couldn't tell her about Agathe either. There were so many things she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to know, but she just knew that there could only be one person to discuss it with, and it was Georg.

"Alright." she started quietly, thinking about what issue she could address her. "I'm nervous. And confused. And sometimes terribly lost." She said as she looked at Hede in the eye. "And I need to have some moments with Georg. Moments with him _alone_. There are some things I need to discuss with him, and besides, I think it is normal that as an engaged couple, we deserve some privacy."

Hede sighed, and put her hands on the table.

"I know, Maria. But the thing is, we technically _can't_ leave you alone. We -Max and I- are here to stop you from being alone, so nothing... _unfortunate_ happens."

"I know that. But I have to tell you, for the record, that three months ago I was at the convent, and barely a month ago I was ready to become a nun. Doing anything _unfortunate,_ as you put it, before the wedding would be against everything I believe in. And Georg is well aware of that, too," she added as she remembered their encounter in her bedroom the other day, "so there's nothing to fear."

"Mmmm." Hede considered, crossing her arms and eyeing her.

"The only thing I'm asking you for is just some _time_ , Hede. Please, " she beseeched.

"Mmmm," Hede repeated.

"All you have to do is to keep Max distracted for a while - _don't look at me that way that's not what I meant!_ " she added, blushing at the unmistakable look on Hede's face.

"So I can have a proper conversation with Georg," Maria pleaded.

Hede was silent for a moment before speaking: "Alright, I'll figure something out to keep Max and the children out of sight for as long as I can, when I can," she conceded.

"May I ask you something?" Maria asked curiously.

"Go on." Hede said as she took a sip of her red wine.

"Are you _sure_ that the situation between you and Max is solved?"

"It is." Hede firmly said. "I mean, there's no ambiguity between us. We really get along marvellously, he is a nice and funny person, well, he hasn't changed a bit." She smiled a little nostalgically.

"But our past remains our past to this day, and I don't feel like we'll get back together. And with both of us taking care of the children while you're gone – it would be too complicated if something happened. I wouldn't want to risk it. Max is too dear to me to jeopardise what we have now."

"But if it happened, it wouldn't matter, would it?" Maria insisted. "You've made it clear to me that you weren't the one who wanted to end up married."

"I'm not. But I wouldn't want to risk getting attached. I'm far too independent. And I like things the way they are." She put her glass down. "We are good friends. Nothing less, nothing more. Furthermore, I'm too old for this." She added with a dramatic sigh.

"Don't be silly. Georg is only three years younger than you and he's about the marry me." Maria chuckled as she resumed eating.

"How stupid of him." Hede said. "I'm _kidding_ , of course." She added when she saw Maria's smile vanish.

Maria just plastered a smile back on her face and resumed eating her salad.

* * *

"Thank you, Franz." Maria said to the butler as he helped her out of the car, when they arrived at the villa. He barely nodded at her.

"Why are you so obstinately nice to him?" Hede hissed as they made their way to the house. "He is so annoying."

"He is not annoying, he is just... struggling." Maria tried to say. "Oh, alright, he might be annoying." She admitted when she saw Hede's look, as they were walking through the quiet foyer.

"I might go to see what the children are up to." She said as they headed for the parlour, where the children usually were after lunch.

"Hello, darling."

Maria froze, her shoulders tensing immediately as she recognized the unmistakable sound of Georg's voice.

"Oh, hello, brother." Hede said as she turned around, and Maria did the same.

Georg was casually leaning against the ramp, arms folded, legs crossed at the ankle, and he was looking at Maria with a lifted eyebrow.

"Hello." She breathed as he made his way to her.

Tranquilly, he went past Hede without acknowledging her and reached for Maria, kissing her on the cheek. Immediately, she felt her cheeks redden and her heart flutter, despite her previous apprehension.

"You're early." Hede commented, visibly insensitive to the situation.

"I couldn't bear staying away from my fiancée another minute." He said with a quick wink at Maria. "I'm afraid I can't say the same about you." He added nonchalantly.

"How wise of you." She retorted, arms crossed and with a smirk.

"I -I have to go to my room and get some things sorted." Maria hastily said.

Hede gave her a puzzled look - after all, she'd been the one to request some time alone with Georg, and now seemed a pretty good opportunity. Georg looked equally surprised, and gave her a questioning look.

"If you say so." He said as she got closer to her, kissing her cheek again and whispered in her ear. "I'll be in my study if you need anything."

"Right." She breathed as she blushed, conscious of Hede's gaze upon them.

Trying to act as naturally as she could, she made her way to the grand staircase and disappeared.

"What's wrong with her?" Georg asked as she watched his fiancée almost run up the stairs, her beautiful blue dress floating behind her.

"Nothing. Just fatigue, I presume, from all the events that are happening right now. Something that you men, can't understand." She said as she radiantly turned to her brother, happy to be able to tease him.

"Very, very funny, Hede."

Sometimes he felt like Hede and Max were the same person.

* * *

An hour later, taking a deep breath, Maria raised her fist to knock on Georg's study door.

She had spent the time in her room in restless turmoil and knew she had to face it. Just like the Reverend Mother had told her earlier, she had to face her problems: she had to talk to him. It would only bring her peace, and it would bring him peace, too.

"Come in."

Slowly, she pushed the door open, and quickly closed it behind her, leaning back against it.

"Ah, darling." He said as he looked up with a warm smile, gathering some paperwork as he got up from his desk and moved around it to greet her. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No." She answered, a little bit too fast. "I mean, uh, yes. Can we talk? Please?" She asked timidly and brought her gaze to his.

"Of course." He said, frowning slightly as he gestured to the leather couch on his right.

Maria let herself fall on the comfortable furniture, soothing her skirts and trying to look as casual as possible, as she gathered her courage. Soon enough, he joined her, gazing questioningly at her.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, a bit concerned.

She stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at her folded hands on her lap before inhaling deeply and looking at him.

"Are you happy, with me?"

The silence that followed was icy. Looking into his eyes, she saw a million things parade: surprise, confusion, affection... sadness? Oh, that's it, she thought. She was through. She swallowed hard.

Finally, after an eternity, he put a hand on her forearm and replied.

"Maria, what would put such an idea in your head? Of course I am."

She felt herself relax a bit, but she knew better.

"But there are things you don't tell me. I know it." She said as she averted her eyes from his burning gaze.

"Maria, you have to be more specific." He said calmly. "I can't guess what's going on in your mind."

"I know you miss her." She barely whispered. "I know you still love her, and I know you will never love me half as much, but well, I just wished you had told me. So I would have been more... prepared."

"What? Maria, what the-"

"Agathe." She simply said, unable to look at him.

His breath caught, as if she had burnt him.

"Maria, I..." He started, unable to finish. "Tell me what's going on. What has happened to you to say such things."

With a heavy heart, she started to tell him about her encounter with Friedrich the other day, how he had talked about his mother, how Hede had said a similar thing, and how she had started to doubt herself.

Georg was very seriously listening to her, but from time to time, she could see the same flash a sadness passing briefly through his eyes.

"And then, I just couldn't fall asleep... I was tossing in my bed, unable to sleep, and I needed you. So I came here."

Georg frowned slightly. "Wasn't the door locked?"

"No." She said. "I just sat at your desk, letting myself breathe in your scent... That's when I found it."

"Found what?" He asked her gently, putting a hand on her back.

"The letter... the letter you wrote her."

A small "oh," escaped Georg's lips, and he was suddenly very quiet.

"Look, Georg," She said, putting on a brave face. "I understand that you are always going to put her first. I only wished I had known you were suffering from it - by "it", I mean marrying me. Of course I knew you still loved her - how could you not? - but I thought there would be room for me as well. I wouldn't want you to hurt for anything in the world, and if marrying me is not what you want, then..." she swallowed again. "Then we could still cancel everything."

She'd expected him to look sadly at her, but he did not. Instead, he stared at her, with an unnerving silent intensity, until finally, he spoke.

"Never." He said. "Maria, I would never, ever want to give you up. Not for anything in the world. I just..." He cut himself off, trailing his hands in his hair, resting his elbows on his knees and looking down.

Maria felt her throat tightening, digesting his words. So he still wanted her? But what was it then? Oh, what a mess!

She draped an arm around him, and rested her head on his upper back, without saying anything. Her mind was racing: maybe she had misunderstood the whole situation. But how on Earth was she supposed to figure it out? She knew Georg was a very private person, and that it was hard for him to talk about his past, that he had been used to locking himself away. But now everything was different: she was going to be his wife, to share her life with him. She knew he was torturing himself, she knew he always had; but she had to be there for him.

For a long time, she just lay against his back, comfortingly caressing it, listening to his steady breathing and the beating of his heart.

"If I could grant you peace of mind... If you'd let me inside your heart..." She whispered quietly against him.

Then, after a few seconds, he straightened up and watched her, before pulling her to him, holding her close.

"It makes me sad," he spoke softly in her ears, his chin resting on her shoulder. "That you could think something like that."

"I just- the letter said..."

"Maria." He interrupted gently, and she immediately knew it wasn't the time to argue.

He loosened his grip so she could look at him again.

"This letter... Obviously, you weren't supposed to read it." He stated more to himself than to her. "But did you pay attention to the way it was written?"

His question took her aback. "Well, I- yes, I noticed you didn't... Oh, I don't want to sound so jealous or ungrateful because I'm not!" She explained, panicked. "But you barely mentioned me... It was all about your love for her, and I was wondering if you... If you really loved me, after all," she whispered sadly.

"You weren't mentioned that much because it was a letter to her, to Agathe. It was a way for me to say things I wish she could hear, which she obviously can't. I was, in a way, trying to make up for giving up on her. Like I said in the end."

"But you're not... giving up on her, are you? What you shared... it was..."

"Have you noticed how it was written?" He asked a second time in the same, gentle tone.

She shook her head slightly.

"If you had paid extra attention, you would have seen it was written in the past tense." He said calmly.

Her eyes widened.

"I don't... I don't understand." She breathed.

"I am going to tell you everything." He sighed, grasping her hands. "But you have to listen to me."

She nodded slowly, and he began his story.

He told her how he'd felt after her death: how he had thought he would never be happy again, how he had become the worst version of himself. The regret was clear in his voice.

"And then... I met her. The most beautiful, enthralling woman in the world," he whispered tenderly.

Maria frowned in confusion. Who? Baroness Shraeder? Or had he met someone before her?

"It was you, of course." He said with a small smile watching as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink.

"Maria, don't you see? Have you never understood?" He asked as his eyes bore onto hers. "I was... I was confused, because I felt something for you I hadn't felt in years. Falling in love with you... it was both a blessing and a sweet torture. First of all because you were like a forbidden fruit to me, at the beginning, and second because when I asked you to marry me I... I remembered Agathe." He said as he kissed her knuckles.

"Of course I had been thinking of her, a lot - I've always had, for four years. But I remembered how I had promised myself never to fall in love again. And I had failed her, in a way. Betrayed her. But the worst thing was that I didn't feel bad about it.

"You have to understand, Maria. You..." he breathed. "You stole my heart, a heart I had protectively locked behind strong walls. It only took a glance, and the barriers were falling. But there was still her memory, clinging to me. I didn't want to completely get rid of it, because she had an important place in my life for so long. But I needed to make peace with myself. That's why I wrote the letter. You weren't mentioned much in it, not because I don't love you, but because it was something I needed to sort out between her and me. Or more between me and me." He finished with a small smile.

Maria stared at him, making sense of everything he had just told her.

"Why would you not talk to me? Why wouldn't you want to tell me about her?" She quietly asked. "I'm sorry, Georg, but it's just a huge mess in my head..."

"Because I had to learn to accept that she was in the past. I loved her, truly, deeply, passionately. But it was before. Now I have you, and _you_ are the only thing I want to think of. But you're right, I should have talked to you. I didn't think it would impact you at all, but I'm an idiot: of course it would. Agathe is still here," he said as he put his hand on his heart, "but she is at peace, now. This," he said as he still had his hand on his heart, "is yours. All yours."

Maria looked at him like she had never looked at him before. Everything he had told her had been like a shock to her, and she didn't quite know how to respond.

"Sometimes I can't help but think what would have happened if we'd met while she was still there. You wouldn't have looked at me for a second, and I would have fallen in love with you, and I would have found myself all alone... again." She said quietly.

Wordlessly, he pulled her back to him, and circled his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach and his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Maria, darling. I am a firm believer that some things are meant to happen, and some other aren't. And you and Agathe weren't meant to happen together. I can't think about what would have happened because in all honesty, I have no idea. All I know is that I've been lucky enough to have you, and to have a second chance to love."

He twisted her around so she was now facing him.

"I love you." He said with a seriousness that made her heart leap with happiness, his ocean blue eyes piercing hers. "I love you and you must never think anything else. Because I was once in love with Agathe doesn't mean I can't love you, too. Maria, right now, you are everything I could think of. I don't want you to think for a single second that you are unworthy, or that you will have to share me with her, or that you will live in her shadow. This letter to Agathe, it was a proper goodbye. There's nothing but you, now. And it's now that matters."

"But what if... what if I am nothing like her? What if I can't give you what you want, as she did?"

"You won't be anything like her, it's not what I'm expecting from you. I don't need a replica of her. I want you to be you. And you are enough, darling. More than enough."

She simply nodded, feeling better than she had since he had proposed to her. Now she felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders, a weight she had never noticed had been there.

"Alright, it's been... twenty minutes since we've been in here." Georg said as he checked his watch. "And not one single chaperone in sight. So I take it that they won't bother us for a good amount of time." He said casually, and she suddenly remembered the last time they had found themselves alone, and everything she had been thinking about before he came in.

"Georg, there was something I wanted to discuss with you. I mean, something else." She started. Wrapped in her feelings of bliss at how close she felt to him after their discussion, she realised she could just talk to him about everything that had been troubling her.

"I'm all ears," he said tenderly as he leaned back on the couch.

"I wanted to talk about children," she said shyly, looking at him.

"Children?" He asked, misunderstanding. "Has something happened while I was away? Did they behave badly?"

"Oh no, not at all." She hastily reassured him. "Not _the_ children, but _children_ ," she clarified.

He crooked his head on the side, frowning slightly, still puzzled.

"Yes?"

"Well, I was..." She breathed deeply, looking down at her hands. "I was wondering if maybe you'd consider having more. With me. Or if seven was enough, after all." She lifted her eyes.

All trace of concern flew from her face when she noticed the wide smile that broke on his face.

"Children? With you?" He asked again, almost not believing it. "Nothing could make me happier. A little you running around, with your hair, your nose, and God, your eyes. I've pictured it over a thousand times in my head." He said with a bright smile.

"Really?"

"It would be the greatest gift on Earth." He said as he pulled her to him, capturing her lips in a tender kiss, and Maria let herself melt into it, relieved. When they pulled apart, he brushed a strand that was falling upon her forehead, and put in back in her fringe, gazing at her lovingly. "I can't wait to have you locked in this hotel room, all to myself for six weeks." He said with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

She blushed intensely at his words, understanding the meaning behind them. Of course she knew what their honeymoon would entail; she was even looking forward to it with a mixture of excitement, fear, and something else she couldn't quite name. Suddenly, she felt very shy and didn't know what to say: intimacy was, after all, something she wanted to discuss with him as well. But what could she possibly say?

"Darling? You are far away." Georg brought her back to reality, gently touching her arm. She jumped a little.

"Do you want to talk about it? About what will happen between us, once we are married?" He asked in a soft tone.

"Oh, I don't know." She signed almost defeatedly, trailing her hands through her hair. "I have no idea what to expect, I'm so... _uneducated_ on the matter. I mean, I know what will basically happen when... when it's going to happen." Why was it so hard to formulate such simple words? "But what if... what if I can't please you? What if I'm bad, what if I don't know what to do, what if I hurt?"

Immediately, he covered her hands with his own.

"You have nothing to worry about. It might sting a little, the first time, but it will be alright. As for you not pleasing me... how could you? You don't have to do anything at all to drive me crazy, and I know you won't be bad. In fact I know it will be wonderous for both of us. When two people love each other as much as we do, it always is. And we are allowed to speak!" He said with a chuckle. "If there's anything you're not comfortable with, or anything you'd like to ask, you'll just have to tell me. But it will be fine, you'll see. I can't begin to try to explain..." He suddenly looked away from her, as if concerned his heated gaze would overwhelm her. "I can't _tell_ you, I'd have to _show_ you. Which is, I'm afraid, not possible for now." He shrugged.

Maria was left speechless. All she did was stare at him, breathing deeply, drinking every word. _I'd have to show you_. The words were intoxicating and she was suddenly looking forward to her wedding night even more than she had in the past three weeks.

"I wish the wedding wasn't so far away." She sighed, trying to cool herself down. The look he gave her didn't help: his eyes were dark, heavy with desire, and for the first time, she wished Max or Hede were in the room.

"Three weeks..." He said in a low voice that sent a chill down her spine. "Three weeks and you will be mine." He finished, and their eyes met in intensely searing heat.

The following second was like a blur. She didn't know who had initiated it, but they had both thrown themselves in each other's arms, mouths crashing in a passionate, hungry, desperate kiss. Soon enough, he had grabbed her and put her on top of him, firmly holding her waist on his lap while she was still kissing him, threading her hands through his hair and trying to make herself comfortable as she was sitting on him. Moaning, she impulsively pressed herself even more into him. But he just held her even more firmly to him, and she tried unsuccessfully to wrap her legs against him.

It was like being another person. Every time it would happen, she felt possessed, her reasonable self being replaced with a wicked one. Her mind, her body were screaming for more, just _more_ , and she knew more would never be enough. She was still kissing him passionately, pushing herself even more onto his lap, messing up his hair with her hands. The feeling of him, _all of him_ , was enough to set her on the edge.

She felt his palms caressing her thighs, and the softness yet the urgency of the touch felt like heaven to her as she kept on grasping handfuls of his hair. But just as she was started to feel lightheaded after such a long time without breathing, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers, and her hands cupped the sides of his neck while she was trying the catch her breath.

"I hope I never get enough of this," she said in a whisper, savouring the magic of the moment.

"I _know_ I'll never get enough of it," Georg answered in the same hoarse voice he had answered her two days ago in her bedroom.

Reluctantly, she rolled off him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her to him as she played with the buttons of his shirt, wondering what lay beneath it.

"By the way," She suddenly remembered something else. He looked at her questioningly, his hair all messed up thanks to her.

"What have you been doing in Vienna? Truly? You've been rather secretive about it."

"Oh, yes." He said as if it had been the last thing he'd expected to hear after their heated kisses, trying to recompose himself.

Slowly, he got up from the couch and cleared his throat, and Maria watched him curiously as he stretched his arms.

"Are you alright darling?" She frowned.

"Hmmm." Was his response as he made his way to his desk and pulled the drawer open, taking a medium size box out of it. Then, he went back to the couch and sat down next to Maria, carefully placing the box in her hands.

"Open it," he softly commanded.

Her eyes never leaving his, she lifted the top of the box and lowered her eyes, only to find another smaller box.

She looked at him in incomprehension.

"Come on, open it too."

She picked it up and did as she was told, her eyes shooting opened in surprise as she saw what lay there.

"Oh my, Georg..." She managed to say and she lifted her eyes to her fiancé, who was giving her an unreadable look.

"Do you like it?" He asked, his voice soft.

"Well, I... of course I do. It is _gorgeous_ ," she whispered as she looked at the object again.

It was a small golden ring, with nothing but a beautiful round, blue sapphire circled with tiny diamonds. As if she was afraid it might disappear, she ghosted her fingertips over it, staring at it in wonder, clearly not believing her eyes.

"I chose it because of your eyes." He explained as she was still staring at it, and she saw his hand taking the ring.

"It's gorgeous, but you didn't have to," she said quietly.

"Didn't have to? Darling, I couldn't possibly not offer you an engagement ring," he said as he took her hand in his, and slowly slid the precious ring down her finger.

She was quiet for a while. She still couldn't believe that she had doubted him, doubted his love and commitment. All the while he had been picking up an engagement ring for _her_.

"I had to go to Vienna because that's where the only jeweller I trust is. I wanted nothing but the best for my future beautiful, kind, amazing wife." He said as he squeezed her hand.

She let out a chuckle and looked at him and cupped his cheeks with both hands.

"I would be so lost without you." She smiled tearfully, suddenly feeling all emotional.

"I would, too." He gave her a reassuring smile back.

She brought his face down to hers and gave him a long, heartfelt kiss. Somehow, she knew they would be fine.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Thank you so much for reading and, for those who waited, for keeping up with me.**

 **I apologise for being so late and everything but here it is now. I do hope you enjoyed it and I would like to thank all the reviewers who left reviews on this story. I would love to hear what you thought about this chapter!**

 **The plan was always to make it a three chapters story; I hope you liked it like that.**

 **Thank you so much to bloomandgrow for helping me out for this one. I couldn't have done it without your help!**


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